Neck support pillow

ABSTRACT

A support pillow providing head and neck support to a user laying upon it. The pillow employs a support insert surrounded by a pillow casing having planar top and bottom surfaces and a sidewall extending between them. An insert engaged in the casing provides substantially planar support surfaces with a centrally located void providing a relief for positioning one&#39;s head on the pillow. Proper support and spine alignment is provided by a shoulder portion of the pillow for the neck which may be formed of different material than the pillow.

This Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/388502 filed on Sep. 30, 2010, and included herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to pillows. More particularly, it relatesto a pillow configured with a central relief area and improved necksupport component configured to appear as a normal pillow and provide aperson who is laying prone or supine, greatly improved neck support.

2. Prior Art

Conventionally, pillows consist of a top and bottom surface sewntogether at the perimeter edges to form an interior cavity which holdsstuffing or padding. This single sewn seam central engagementstructurally causes the top and bottom surfaces to slope alongside edgestoward the circumferentially located seam. The slope is somewhat of anarc from the widest point of the pillow at a mid section toward the seamfrom the top and bottom surfaces.

The padding-stuffed central portion of the pillow, even without thesloping surfaces, support the user's head laying upon it, in such afashion that the user's neck is angled upward from the axis of theirspine in the prone position on a bed or support surface. In addition toa straining neck posture, this sloping reduces the support given to theneck and can be uncomfortable and even cause permanent damage over time.

One solution tried is to simply replace the filler material such ascotton, feathers, or similar pillow stuffing, with a stuffing whichconforms and contours more accurately with the anatomy of a humanindividual's neck and head shape. This contour of course will varywidely from person to person due to height, neck length, and otherreasons related to body size and structure, and is therefor not adequatefor solving the big picture problem. Many more attempts at the perfectpillow have been made and are seen in prior art.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,303 to Tanaka et al. teaches a cervical and headsupport pillow consisting of a pillow casing with a plurality of foaminserts inserted within the casing. Inserts are combined in a variety ofmanners to allow the user to obtain many types of support on the neckand head. A vexing problem with pillows, with such inserts, is that auser may, on accident, lose or misplace any or all of the inserts anddeem the device useless. Similarly, if the inserts are positionedincorrectly, or have a foam density that is too high or too low, thedevice in question may only further complicate neck or head discomfortexperienced by the user.

Various other support devices have been proposed and are shown in U.S.Pat. No. 5,020,174 to Sarkozi, U.S. Pat. No. D582,045S to James, andU.S. Pat. No. 5,123,132 to Dixon, all of which require user aidedadjustability and do not provide universal comfort and support. However,such pillows follow the same general scheme of prior art of changingfoam stiffness and forming contours to adapt to the neck and head whichdo not adapt well to most users.

Still further, conventionally employed bed pillows as a rule are filledwith stuffing material such as polyester, or feathers, or down, or foam,or even the new memory foams. All these materials retain the heatproduced by a user's head while laying upon it. Humans radiate more heatthrough their head than any other part of their body, and for a personsleeping for the night, or even for a nap on a hot day, the laying oftheir head on a heat retaining conventional pillow can becomeuncomfortable and may interrupt a good nights sleep. A simple solutionis to merely flip the pillow over, but this of course inhibits thesleeping pattern of the user who must awaken heated, and flip theirpillow.

As a consequence, conventional pillow users continue to suffer from thisvexing combination of lack of support to their neck, terrible angledposture which can cause injury over time, and overheating from thepillow stuffing heat retention characteristics. Further, manyindividuals suffer irritation and sleeplessness from the long period oftime sleeping will put pressure on their ear. When user's sleep on theirside, with an ear against a pillow, the weight of their head causespressure to sandwich their ear between their head and the stuffing inthe pillow. This, as noted, is uncomfortable and undesirable. Thispressure can build and cause the user to wake and once again interrupt agood nights sleep. Similarly, when positioned with an ear against thepillow, it is often difficult to hear from the ear contacting the pillowdue to the pressure of the surface of the pillow from the interiorstuffing against the ear which causes a muffling of sound around theuser. For users hard of hearing in their other ear, this is dangerous.For other users, it may be desired to retain adequate hearing from bothears independent of sleeping position on the pillow.

Still further, the many support pillows seen on television andadvertised in photographs generally have an appearance that isunconventional and are sized unconventionally. Rather than appearing aslarge rectangular pillows with smooth top and bottom surfaces, mostsupport pillows are smaller than a conventional pillow and have humps onthe edge, or other odd contours. These unconventional shapes are aproblem for users who may have spent hundreds of dollars on beddingsince they will not fit and fill out a conventional pillow case in anaesthetic manner. This is especially true where the bedding is on adouble bed and a conventional pillow is located adjacent to a currentmode of support pillow. As a consequence, many potential users of necksupport pillows avoid using them and continue to suffer, rather thanhave bedding that appears odd or damaged from the odd and unconventionalshape of available neck support pillows.

As such, there is a continuing unmet need for an improved pillow headsupport device and system which provides a pillow which will provideeven neck support to the user no matter the sleeping position. Such apillow head support should also provided substantial alignment of theirneck with the axis of their spine for both side and back sleeping users.This alignment is most important to prevent injury over the long term.Still further, such a pillow should employ interior support componentsand a structure internally which will self-conform the neck support andalignment of the neck to a wide variety of the shapes and contours ofuser's heads and necks. Still further, such a pillow should provide thisimproved support while concurrently eliminating or reducing the bodyheat build up in the pillow over short or long sleeping periods.

Still further, to allow widespread use and employment in venues andhomes which will not use unconventional appearing support pillows, sucha neck supporting pillow should appear to viewers as a conventionalpillow and be conventionally engageable with conventional pillow casessuch that the cased pillow appears normal or the same as a casedconventional pillow in the same bed. Such a pillow should have thisconventional rectangular pillow appearance while still providing thebenefits of support and adaptability to user body shapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device, herein disclosed and described, achieves the above-mentionedobjects and goals, through the provision of a pillow having a gussetedexterior cover configured to form a pillow cavity for housing a supportpillow within. While a non-gusseted cover with the interior supportpillow of this invention would still be an improvement, in the preferredmode of the device, the cover for the interior housed support pillow isgusseted so as to provide a more even side surface and two substantiallyparallel top and bottom surfaces.

The pillow cover forming the interior cavity for the support pillow isformed of top and bottom fabric walls providing exterior and interiorsurfaces of substantially a rectangular shape. A sidewall gusset panelcommunicates between the perimeter edges of both the top and bottomsurfaces and is engaged thereto in a conventional fashion such assewing. The interior cavity can be sealed by complexly sewing the gussetfor the perimeter of the pillow or a means to access the interior cavitycan be provided in the form of an elongated opening which may be closedby a zipper, buttons, or other conventional means of closure.

The interior cavity is defined by the sidewalls and engaged gusset. Thecavity is configured to hold the support pillow therein. With thesupport pillow inserted, the exterior of the pillow cover appears as anormal pillow to viewers and will engage within conventional pillowcases and provide a normal appearing pillow when placed with otherbedding.

The support pillow insert is positioned within the interior cavityformed within the gusseted pillow cover. The support pillow insertfeatures a top surface, bottom surface, and a side surface extendingtherebetween. This renders the shape and dimension of the support pillowinsert substantially a cooperating shape to the interior cavity andadapted to engage within the similarly shaped interior cavity formed bythe pillow cover.

The sidewalls of the formed support pillow and overlain pillow cover aresubstantially vertical to the support surface the pillow rests upon suchas a bed. This provides a step of sorts from the top surface of thepillow supported on the bed or other surface, to the support surface.For a side sleeping user, the height of this step can be chosen tomaintain their neck substantially aligned with their spine. A pluralityof different sized pillows with different height side surfaces can bemade available for users to choose the most comfortable. Alternatively,the gusset may be formed of slightly elastic material and planar supportpillow inserts provided in a kit to allow users to adjust the height ofthe top surface above the support surface to their liking and comfort.

In a substantially central area of the support pillow, between thecircumferential gusset sidewall, there is formed a void. The void may becircular, oval, square, rectangle, or other shapes. However, the currentpreferred shape is circular or oval due to the even stress this provideson the fabric communicating therethrough. It is anticipated that thevoid can be square, rectangular or oval in shape and the application isconsidered to include these other shapes within the scope of the use ofthe term void herein.

This void communicates substantially between the top and bottom surfacesof the support pillow engaged in the interior cavity. This aperture maycommunicate entirely through the support pillow or may be covered on thetop and bottom surface by a very thin layer of stretch fabric andcommunicate therebetween. Consequently, unlike other support pillowswhich attempt to use different fillings, different shapes, and differentcontours of the support pillow, the device herein employs a void ofsupport in this center area of the support pillow which is hidden by theoverlain pillow cover when the support pillow is engaged within theinterior cavity of the pillow cover.

The inserted support pillow interior cavity surrounding this void isfilled with support material. It may be filled with one, or acombination of, filler material from a group consisting of down, downsubstitute, polyester, Dacron, feathers, micro-beads, foam, gel, beans,buckwheat, water, or any other filler material that will fill theinternal cavity of the insert. When properly filled, the insertedsupport pillow, will have the void in the support provided by thefiller, in the area of the aperture.

In use, the pillow, with the inserted support pillow engaged within theinterior cavity of the pillow cover, looks like a normal pillow. This isespecially preferred in that the formed pillow may be engaged inconventional bed linens, and the pillow can be sized in conventionalpillow sizes to fit twin, full, queen, and king beds and linens in afashion where the linen pillow case covered pillow will appear as anormal pillow even if positioned next to a non-support pillow. However,the pillow device herein employs the void to allow the projectingportions of a user's head to settle into the aperture. This is truewhether the projecting portion is the ear of a side-sleeper or the backrear of the head of a back sleeper, or the nose and face of aface-sleeper. With the projecting portions of the head settling into thevoid, in virtually all positions the side of the pillow is of a heightto allow the neck of the user to stay aligned with their spine, whilelaying down.

Additionally, a shoulder portion of the support pillow insert, formedbetween the sidewall of the support pillow and the void formed by theaperture, is positioned perfectly to support the user's neck. Thisshoulder support portion also supports the neck in alignment with thespine of the user during their prone position in bed. Further, for evenmore enhanced support, this shoulder portion can be filled withviscoelastic polymer gel infused memory foam, such as visco-elasticpolyurethane foam with viscoelastic polymer gel beads infused. Unlikeconventional memory foams which collapse over time during sleeping, thegel beads infused in the solid solution of memory foam maintain thevertical support ability of the formed foam. While a center portion ofharder foam sandwiched between memory foam might work, it has been foundthat the even support provided by infusing gel beads into the memoryfoam during manufacture evenly distributes the gel beads throughout theentire shoulder support providing more even support. Further, unlikenormal foam and memory foams, which are hot and tend to retain heat, thegel infused foam transmits heat and does not retain it, providing coolersupport.

Similarly, since the void is filled with air, this also provides a meansto dissipate heat from the user's head and allows the user's head to bemaintained at a cooler temperature when laying upon the pillow herein.This is due to the fact that air in the void will not retain heat aswell as the conventional foam or down or feather pillow filler material.

Furthermore, the void provides a means to reduce pressure on the earwhen the user is positioned on their side, greatly increasing comfort.When positioned on their back, the projecting portion of the rear of theuser's head, will comfortably engage within the void and align the neckwhile so positioned. Finally, the reduced pressure of the pillow coveragainst the ear, due to the void in support, helps to alleviate anymuffling of some sounds that would normally occur from the user's earcontacting the surface of a conventional pillow.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least onepreferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and to the arrangement of the components inthe following description or illustrated in the drawings. The inventionherein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practicedand carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilledin the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology andterminology employed herein are for the purpose of description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conceptionupon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basisfor designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying outthe several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstruction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved means for necksupport on a pillow through the provision of a pillow insert configuredwith a void in support and which is engaged to a support pillow coverwhich when can be employed with a pillow case of conventional linens.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a support systemwhich forms a planar support surface for the head by employing a gussetstyle sidewall engaging the top and bottom surfaces of both casing andinsert.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a void in support,centrally located on the support pillow insert, to provide an area toposition projecting parts of the user's head within, whether the user ison their back or side.

Still yet another object of the invention is the support shoulderportion formed between the aperture and the sidewall providing superiorneck support.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a reduction ofpressure on the ear or face when positioned as such through theprovision of the void described above.

An additional object of this invention is the provision of a supportpillow that is adjustable for users with especially large or small bodyframes.

These together with other objects and advantages which becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of the construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts a top view of the assembled device showing the supportpillow insert engaged within the interior cavity of the pillow casing,and depicting in dotted line, a centrally located void in the supportpillow insert providing a centrally located relief and substantiallyequal sized shoulders for user neck support.

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of the device of FIG. 1, shown with the voidlocated off center slightly to provide shoulder sections for necksupport of different sizes.

FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of the support pillow casing covering theinternally housed support pillow.

FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the support pillow casing, showing thegusseted construction of the sidewall thereby forming a substantiallyplanar head support surface.

FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of the support pillow casing andshowing an opening on the sidewall for insertion of the support pillowinsert within the interior cavity of the support pillow casing.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of the support pillow insert depicting thecentral position of the formed void communicating between the top andbottom surfaces.

FIG. 7 depicts a side view of the support pillow insert showing thepreferred substantially planar sidewalls and the void providing meansfor pressure relief provided by the void (in dotted line).

FIG. 8 shows the device herein assembled with the support pillow insertinside the support pillow casing and inserted within a conventionallinen set pillow case to achieve a normal appearance thereof.

FIG. 9 depicts an exploded view of a height-adjustable and firmnessadjustable mode of the device with an insertable center portionengageable between two engageable half sections.

FIG. 10 shows a slice through a shoulder portion of the device showingfoam material forming the shoulder and which may also form the remainderof the support pillow.

FIG. 11 depicts another slice view through a shoulder depicting a modeof the device having a center portion of the shoulder formed of a hardermaterial such as a viscoelastic polymer gel foam and the opposing sidesformed of softer material such as visco-elastic memory foam and whichmay also form the remainder of the support pillow.

FIG. 12 depicts another preferred mode of the device wherein theshoulder portion is formed of a foam material such as visco elasticmemory foam which has gel foam beads disbursed in the solid solution offoam material and which may also form the remainder of the supportpillow.

FIG. 13 shows the support insert of the device herein wherein the voidis oval in shape.

FIG. 14 shows the support insert of the device herein wherein the voidis rectangular in shape.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings of FIGS. 1-14, wherein like numerals referto like parts there is seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 a top view depiction of theas-used position of the device 10 wherein a user would lay their headupon the upper facing surface 11. Of course the device 10 can beinserted within a conventional linen set pillow case 13 as in FIG. 8,and appear like a normal down or feather stuffed pillow making thedevice 10 employable by those who will not use other support pillowswhich appear contoured or do not fill out the pillow case 13 properly.

The position of a void 22 formed into the support insert 20 containedwithin the pillow casing 12, is depicted by the dashed line. The void 22in FIG. 1, is seen centrally located relative to the length and width ofthe insert 20 and when in the as-used position shown, remains in asubstantially central location on the device 10. This positioning formsshoulders 30 or neck support portions, extending between the edge of theinsert 20 to the circumference of the void 22 which are substantiallyequal. The void so positioned provides means to dissipate heat from theuser's head during use and additionally a relief when supporting the earoverhead to allow for less muffling of surrounding sounds.

In FIG. 2, the void 22 is shown closer to one side edge of the insert 20than the other side edge. In this mode of the device 10 the shoulders 30are formed in unequal sizes which allows a user to choose the shoulder30 having the width between the side edge 26 and the circumference ofthe void 22 which is most comfortable supporting their neck.

The neck support provided by the shoulder 30 positioned between the void22 and side edge 26 of the insert 20 provides improved neck support whenthe user settles their head on to the upper facing surface 11 and placesone side of their head over the void 22 which is covered by the sidewallof the casing 12. Such neck support is provided independent of theuser's body position, whether laying on their back or side. Further,since projecting portions of the user's head are accommodated by thevoid 22, the user's neck remains in proper alignment whether sleeping ona side or their back.

The material forming the shoulder 30 of the support insert (FIG. 6) canbe the same material as the rest of the support insert 20 or can becustomized in the area of the shoulder 30 for increased support orlessened support as the case may be and as depicted in FIGS. 10-12.Currently, a mixture of more supportive and compressive foams as inFIGS. 11 and 12 are preferred since the user sleeping on the device 10for many hours a day, for many months, will have a tendency to wear inthe softer material and support for the neck can decrease.

FIG. 3 shows the top view of the casing 12 in the as used position withthe support insert 20 housed in an internal cavity formed by the upperand lower wall of the casing 12 which is connected by a gussetedsidewall. As can be seen the side view of FIG. 4, the casing 12 employsa gusset sidewall 16 communicating between the top surface 14 and bottomsurface 18. The gusset sidewall 16 provides a means to remove the arcnormal pillow surface's have when simply joined at a central seam. Itthus allows a construction which provides a substantially planar topsurface 14 and bottom surface 18 of the formed support insert 20. Thisalso establishes a substantially stable sidewall width and therebymaintains the support of the shoulder 30 constant when the top surface14 supports the weight of the user's head and the shoulder 30 supportstheir neck.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the casing 12 showing an optional butpreferred opening 19 at one end of the gusset circumferential sidewall16. The opening 19 is of such a configuration to allow the insertion ofthe support insert 20 into the internal cavity of the casing 12. Theopening 19 may be sewn shut but if not required is preferred as itallows for a washing of the casing 12. The opening 19 may remain open inthe as-used position but may also close by means of hook and loopfasteners, zipper, or other cooperating fasteners of the like. Thesupport insert 20 can be seen in the top view of FIG. 6 with centrallylocated void 22. As noted, the favored mode of the void 22 is circularin shape as it allows for even stretching and contraction of the foam orother material forming the body of the insert 20. However, as noted, andshown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the void can be oval or rectangular or othershapes.

Additionally, the void 22 may be configured in different sizes toincrease the area of non support and decrease the shoulder 30 size, toaccommodate different sized users and it is anticipated the device 10will be sold in such different sizes to accommodate various head sizes.Consequently, it should be noted that the relative void 22 size depictedin the figure is merely there for demonstrative purposes.

The dimensions of the insert 20 are configured to cooperatively engagefor an easy insertion and removal with the interior cavity 27 of thecasing 12. Again, the means for neck support of the user in the as-usedposition with their head laying upon an upper facing surface 11, isprovided by the shoulder 30. This shoulder 30 is defined by the area ofthe support insert 20 between the circumference of the void 22 and thesidewalls 26 closest to the void 22. As noted and shown in FIG. 2, theposition of the void 22 may be varied to produce substantially equaldimensioned shoulders 30 or two different sized shoulders 30 allowing auser to choose for comfort.

FIG. 7 shows the substantially planar shape of the sidewall 26 of theinsert 20 extending from the top surface 24 to the bottom surface 28.This shape conforms to the shape of the internal cavity 29 of the casing12 and provides for a good cooperative engagement therein and thesubstantially planar sleeping surfaces for the user.

While experimentation has shown that the void communicating through thesupport insert 20 is favored by users, it should be noted that the void22 might also be provided with inserts 23 (FIG. 9) adapted to engage thevoid 22. These inserts 23 may be provided with support material such asmemory or other foam of varying hardness such that the void 22 can beadjustable for support. Or, the void 22 may be provided with fluidfilled or gel filled inserts 23 which may be chilled or heated toprovide temperature therapy to the user, such as in a hospital or homecare setting.

As noted above, there is seen in FIG. 8 the device 10 herein assembledwith the support pillow insert 20 inside the support pillow casing 12,inserted within a conventional linen set pillow case 13. As noted, thisis a substantial consideration because many users spend hundreds ofdollars on linen for bedrooms and are hesitant to use or employstrangely configured or contoured pillows in combination with theirlinens. The device 10 herein, by providing a support pillow whichappears substantially conventional prior to and in an engagement with aconventional pillow case 13, will encourage more widespread use forusers formerly recalcitrant to do so with oddly configured supportpillows.

FIG. 9 depicts an exploded view of a mode of the device 10 wherein thesupport insert 20 is formed in assembleable components. The supportinsert 20, in this mode, is provided with a planar first half 33engageable to either one of a planar second half 35 or a center section37.

The insertable center section 37, provides two means of adjustment tothe device 10. First a means for height adjustment of the upper facingsurface 11 above the bed or other support surface. Varying the thicknessof the center section 37 varies the height of the upper facing surface11 and the shoulder 30.

Additionally, means of adjustment of the firmness of the assembledsupport insert 20 is provided by varying the firmness of the materialused for the center section 37. For instance, the center section 37 maybe formed of closed cell foam or gel style foam and render the insertfirmer to the user in the asused position. Or, more compressiblematerial such as memory foam can be employed to render the insert 20softer. Further, the center section 37 can be removed to lower theheight of the upper facing surface 11 as an adjustment for smaller userssuch as children.

In the mode of the device 10 employing assembleable support inserts 20,the support insert 20 can be provided as a kit with the first half 33engaged either one of a planar second half 35 or a center section 37,and with a plurality of center sections 37 available in differentheights and different density materials to make the assembled supportinsert harder or softer as well as taller or shorter.

FIG. 10 shows a slice through the support shoulder 30 of the device 10showing material forming the shoulder portion 30 to be of one materialwhich can be the same material the remainder of the support insert 20 isformed, or could be different such as firmer material such as a denserVisco elastic memory foam style material.

FIG. 11 depicts a slice through the support shoulder 30 of the supportinsert 20 formed of two different materials. A central portion 41 isformed of one material which is sandwiched between adjoining portions43. This is one particularly favored mode of the device 10 to providebetter neck support to the users. A favored construction is forming theadjoining portions 43 from visco-elastic memory foam of three to sixpound density, since it softens when it comes in contact with heat fromthe user's neck and conforms to shape for even support. The centralsection 41 would be formed of the denser memory foam, or more preferablyof a gel foam, or a memory foam with disbursed gel beads as in FIG. 12,both of which provides more support at higher compression levels andlong durations which collapses the softer memory foam.

FIG. 12 depicts another particularly preferred mode of the device 10wherein the shoulder 30 is formed of a visco-elastic memory foam 47 withgel foam beads 49 disbursed in the solid solution of memory foam 47.This mode performs especially well to provide contoured support of theneck, and firmer support under the higher compression levels the weightof the head and neck impart.

As noted above, the void 22 is currently preferred in a substantiallycircular shape or the oval shape shown in FIG. 13 shows the supportinsert 20 of the device 10 herein wherein the void 22 is oval.Additional shapes are anticipated such as that of FIG. 14 which showsthe support insert 20 having a rectangular in shape.

While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of thedisclosed head and neck support pillow device have been shown anddescribed herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, alatitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intendedin the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in someinstances, some features of the invention may be employed without acorresponding use of other features without departing from the scope ofthe invention as set forth. It should also be understood that varioussubstitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations andsubstitutions, as would occur to those skilled in the art, areconsidered included within the scope of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims.

1. A pillow apparatus for spine alignment and neck support comprising:an insert adapted for engagement within an interior cavity of a pillowcasing; said insert having a body formed of resilient material andhaving substantially planar first surface opposite a substantiallyplanar parallel second surface; a sidewall communicating between saidfirst and second surfaces, said sidwall defining a perimeter of saidinsert; a void defined by a perimeter edge, said void communicatingbetween apertures in said first and second surface at a central portionof said first surface and said second surface; shoulder portions of saidinsert defined by an area of said insert body between said perimeter ofsaid insert and said perimeter edge of said void; said shoulder portionsproviding means for support of the neck or a user having their headpositioned in an as-used position, upon a support surface area comprisedof an upward facing one of said first or second surface; said voidforming a relief for a projecting therein, of portions of said user'shead positioned upon said support surface area; said void forming a heatsink for heat from said user's head in said as-used position; andwhereby a user positioning their head upon said support surface area insaid as used position, is provided head support solely by said supportsurface area, and neck support by a said shoulder portion.
 2. The pillowapparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising: said insert engaged withinsaid pillow casing; said pillow casing having an first fabric wallconnected to a second fabric wall by a fabric sidewall; said insertpositioned to an engaged posit on, within an interior cavity of saidpillow casing defined by the area between said first fabric wall, saidsecond fabric wall, and said fabric sidewall; said fabric sidewall beingsubstantially vertical in disposition with said insert in said engagedposition; said first wall and said second wall both being substantiallyplanar with said insert in said engaged position; and a portion of saidfirst wall and said second wall covering said apertures communicatingwith said void.
 3. The pillow apparatus of claim 2 additionallycomprising: said pillow casing with said insert in said engaged positionappears from an overhead or perspective view as a conventionalrectangular pillow; and said pillow casing with said insert in saidengaged position dimensioned for an engagement within an interior cavityof a conventional pillow case employed in bed linens.
 4. The pillowapparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising: said resilient materialforming said body of said insert, and said shoulder portions, beingvisco elastic memory foam.
 5. The pillow apparatus of claim 2additionally comprising: said resilient material forming said body ofsaid insert, and said shoulder portions, being visco elastic memoryfoam.
 6. The pillow apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising: saidresilient material forming said body of said insert, and said shoulderportions, being visco elastic memory foam.
 7. The pillow apparatus ofclaim 2 additionally comprising: said resilient material forming saidbody of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6pounds in density; said shoulder portion formed of a central portionformed of visco elastic gel sandwiched between layers of visco elasticmemory foam; and a compressive resistant force of said gel providingmeans to maintain said user's neck in line with their spine when saiduser's head is in said as-used position.
 8. The pillow apparatus ofclaim 3 additionally comprising: said resilient material forming saidbody of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6pounds in density; said shoulder portion formed of a central portionformed of visco elastic gel sandwiched between layers of visco elasticmemory foam; and a compressive resistant force of said gel providingmeans to maintain said user's neck in line with their spine when saiduser's head is in said as-used position.
 9. The pillow apparatus ofclaim 2 additionally comprising: said resilient material forming saidbody of said insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6pounds in density; said shoulder portion formed of a solid solution ofvisco elastic foam and visco elastic gel beads disbursed therein; and acompressive resistant force of said gel beads providing means tomaintain said user's neck in line with their spine when said user's headis in said as-used position.
 10. The pillow apparatus of claim 3additionally comprising: said resilient material forming said body ofsaid insert being visco elastic memory foam between 2 to 6 pounds indensity; said shoulder portion formed of a solid solution of viscoelastic foam and visco elastic gel beads disbursed therein; and acompressive resistant force of said gel beads providing means tomaintain said user's neck in line with their spine when said user's headis in said as-used position.
 11. The pillow apparatus of claim 2additionally comprising: said resilient material forming said body ofsaid insert configured of a two outer layers engageable with a centrallayer sandwiched therebetween; said outer layers formed of visco elasticmemory foam material; and said central layer formed of visco elastic gelmaterial.
 12. The pillow apparatus of claim 3 additionally comprising:said resilient material forming said body of said insert configured of atwo outer layers engageable with a central layer sandwichedtherebetween; said outer layers formed of visco elastic memory foammaterial; and said central layer formed of visco elastic gel material.13. The pillow apparatus of claim 11 additionally comprising: saidcentral layer being a member of a plurality of available central layers;said plurality of central layers being comprised of foam material ofdiffering densities; and whereby a different central layer from saidplurality is engageable with said outer layers to change a resistivesupport of said body thereby providing said user means to adjust astiffness of said head support by changing said central layer.
 14. Thepillow apparatus of claim 12 additionally comprising: said central layerbeing a member of a plurality of available central layers; saidplurality of central layers being comprised of foam material ofdiffering densities; and whereby a different central layer from saidplurality is engageable with said outer layers to change a resistivesupport of said body thereby providing said user means to adjust astiffness of said head support by changing said central layer.